CHAPITRE III
18, 11 Tâter^ to feel. From L. Lat. taxare, or irom another
form of that word, taxitare, to touch violently and repeatedly ; perhaps our Ënglish word * to tasto ' is alHed to it.
14 La matinée. The termination ée, added to the words jour, journée ; soir, soirée; matin, matinée; an, année, give the idea of duration ; as for instance : Venez ce soir passer la soirée avec nous.
25 Derrière is a préposition, not to be conf used with arrière, which is an adverb.
27 Longue, Note the insertion of the letter « in the fem. of long, without which g would hâve a soft sound, and the form longe mi^t be mistaken for the same word which is a noun, signifying a rein to lunge horses with, or a loin of méat.'
27 II y en a bien, etc.^ it is quite an hour's Wâlk.
29 Sans quHl m* adressât, without his addrëssing me. The English présent participle, followihg a préposition, has no équivalent in Frencfa, except in the single case of the préposition en, which is also followed by & présent participle in FrencA. ■ Parler en dormant, t* speak while sleeping, &c. Iif ail other cases the English participle is eithéS^ ïénfdered by the French inâdtive, marcher sans s^arrêier, to walk vithout Btopping, &c., or as in this case by the subjunctive présent or imperf ect, according as the verb may be in the présent or past tenfie iûiâié precedi&g 'clause.
19, 9 De temps en temps, from timetatime^' '
8 Tout d'une pièce, with his whole body; hîs récent wound prevented his tuming his head round.
NOTF.S, 163
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19t 6 Que m'aidait fait y etc. See note page 3, Une 3.
7 y# pensais à vie sauver. For penser foUowed by à sea
note page 10, line S.
10 yt me jetterais. The t of jeter is doubled every time ii précèdes a mute (t.e. not accented) #.
14 Lêpoignetf the wrist, from the Latin word pugnus^ a
fist. In the French word poing, the n précèdes the g, but in ail the dérivations the ^ (as in Latin) précèdes the n : poignard, poignet, poignée, empoigner.
18 Mène. In the yerb mener, as in ail others terminating in ner, the e preceding n, when foUowed by an unaccented e, takes a grave accent.
SI Engagea, Note the insertion of the letter e between the g and a, so as to retain the soft sound of the g. This is also the case before the letter : nous engageons,
27 II y avait longtemps que, etc., I had long desired to pass its threshold.
80 Bien. Translate in this passage by " now."
SI M*étais-je posé, had I put to myself. Ail vérbs conjugdied reflectively take être and not avoir for their aoziliary, but it must be rendered by "hâve" in English, as there is no other transitive auziliary.
82 Enluminée, lit up, fiery, i,e. shewing signs of their deep potations.
20» 6 Tandis que, whilst. Tandis que generally implies a contiast, whereas pendant que simply implies the fact that two différent actions are carried on at the same time. ye suis pauvre, tandis que vous êtes riche ; Je dormais pendant qu*il souhait.
18 Feutre, felt. Frôm rortuguese and Italian/f//ro, Low JoAinfiltrum.
15 Le serrait à la taille, fitted him close round the waist.
16 Manches, sleeves. Compare manche, fem., a sleeve, with
manche, masc, a handle. The former is derived from the Latin manica, which is itself derived froni manus, whereas the latter seems to hâve its origiu in a Low Latin neuter word manicum,
18 Avait dû être, must hâve been.
29 Tassés, packed close.
29 Un caniche, un barbet, Both thèse words are translated in most English dictionaries by the English " poodle,'* ihough Spiers calls barbet a water-spaniel, and caniche a poodle. M. Littré does not help to clear up the matter, as he explains barbet by a dog with long curly hair, and under caniche he says chien barbet. Futée, cunnihg. M. Littré suggests the etym. fustis, one who has beén beaten into expérience and cunning.
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20, 31 Bonnet de police, an undress cap, sucli as îs wom by
gendarmes off duty.
21, 1 A demi voix. Note that the word démit when precedîng
a substantive, does not change its gender ; if ît follows it, it does change, as : une demi bouteille de vin, half a bottle of wine ; une bouteille et demie, a bottle and a half.
10 Ce qui se disait, what was being said. Observe that in French the reflective form is chosen in préférence to the passive voice, which is more usual in English.
13 Gêne, incommodes. For etymology of gêner see note
on page 8, line 6.
14 Etranger, foreign. From Italian straniero. Latin eX'
traneus ; in this word as in étrange (line 25, same page) the substitution of the letter 5 for the initial accented é will give the English worda " strange " and ** stranger."
21 Votre affaire est faite, it*s a bargain ; lit., your business
will be donc.
27 C était à croire, you would hâve supposed.
27 Dans le bras gauche, under his left arm.
29 Qu'allait-il se passer ? what was about to tako place ?
22, 4 Vous ne voulez plus de V enfant, you do not waut to be
burdened with the child any more.
5 Donnez-le-moi. Compare position of the govemed pronouns hère with vous le donner in the next line ; in imperative affirmative 2nd sing. and Ist and 2nd person plural the govemed pronouns/o//oze; the verb, in ail other cases they précède the verb.
7 Dame, see note page 6, Ime 7.
8 Un si bel enfant. For the form bel see note on page 16,
13 Aie, Avoir is one of four verbs which alone do not make the second singular of the imperative the same as the first sing. présent ; they are :
Avoir, which makes aie instead of ai.
Être „ sois „ suis.
Savoir „ sache „ sais.
Aller „ va „ vais,
16 ye n^en voudrais pas, I would not hâve him.
17 Ce rCest pas mon affaire, are not in my line.
22 Soit followed by soit is to be translated either — or.
23 Bâti comme tout le monde, made like any other child.
80 Ça peut aller, they might serve him for a time.
2 Faisant la moue, pouting ont hîs lips (to express dissatisfaction). Anglicé, *• to mop and mow."
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23, 3 Assisté à, been présent at. Assister rarely has the Efig-
lish signification of to assist ; it is derived from adsistere, to be standing by.
12 La veille, the evening or day before. Begînners are apt to mistake this word for vieille, the féminine of vieux, old,
15 M' attirer une bourrade, to get me a scolding. This word is derived from bourrer, which is said of a dog when he seizes a hare and carries off part of the hairy skin. Bourrer also means to ram down the charge of a gmi, to beat violently, and thence to ill-treat either wiÛi blows or words.
10 A piquer les bœufs, to goad the ozen.
31 Vous touchez, you receive. Toucher is often used wiln the sensé of receiving payment.
24, 1 Plus de dix francs, "For plus followed by de see note on
page 3, Une 17.
6 Allonger la main, to put ont your hand, to receive payment.
8 Dans laquelle, from ont of which. The French say : prendre quelque chose **dans" un tiroir, where we should say : to take oui of a drawer. .
8 Étala, stretched ont, as goods are spread out on a
stall, étal, for sale.
9 En les faisant sonner, making them ring.
14 Pour de bonnes jambes, as for good legs, &c,
15 ye nCen tiens à ce que f ai dit, I adhère to what I said.
18 A petits coups, little by little ; with small dranghts.
19 ye me fais vieux, I am getting old.
25, 13 Carnée, flesh coloored.
15 Large, broad.
26, 10 Se dressèrent, stood npright on their hind legs. Dresser
has the meaning of : setting upright, arranging ; as dresser la table, or to train a dog or horse. Its etymology is directus ; from reclus, straight. 14 y\ippelle. In verbs of more than two syllables endîng in 1er the / is doubled before an e mute. For dissyllables see note on page 6, line 20.
20 Qui n^a pas volé son nom, who has not stolen hîs name,
t,e. has well deserved it.
22 A des titres différents, for différent accomplishments.
27, 1 Le cadran, the dial ; from the Latin quadrans, because
the Sun dial was always quadrilatéral.
4 Poussa, uttered ; gave vent to.
11 Lui faire vis-à-vis, to stand up to dance opposite him.
From the Old French word vis, which was the same as visage, face to face.
l66 NOTES.
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27, 18 Ne s* apprécie,,. que.,,, is only apprecîated. Kote the
nse of the reflective verb instead of the passive voice
as in English.
21 L*esprit, See note on page 8, line 28.
33 Méchants^ nanghty.
28, 2 Travailler dur, to work hard. Many French adjeotives
are thus nsed adverbially. Parler haut, to speak
loud; parler bas, to speak low; marcher droit, to
walk straight, &c, 12 Troublé, See note on page 8, line 28.
25 En train, in the act.
29 // 5^ écoula plus d*une heure, more than an hotir passed.
^01 plus followed by de see note on page 3, une 17.
